Keeping Hope Alive
by Habit
Summary: She'd witnessed him...they all had. He'd sacrificed his life so they would live. With Immortan Joe dead, the Citadel needed a new leader. That leader was none other than Furiosa. Capable hasn't given up hope of bringing Nux home...even if it IS just his body. But hope is not lost, for man is a tough beast to kill. Rated M for mentions of rape and sexual suggestiveness.


**A/N: No one REALLY wanted Nux to die, so I made it to where he didn't. Yay me! I don't own any of the creative property displayed in Mad Max: Fury Road, or any other Mad Max show. I merely wanted to show the possible outcome had Nux lived.**

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Depressed green eyes stared out towards the canyon where the final confrontation with Immortan Joe had taken place. It had been six full days since that tragic battle, but it felt like an eternity to those who'd lived through it. A pang of sorrow bolted through the woman with depressed green eyes. Not everyone had made it. Angharad had lost her life before even reaching the Green Place, and Nux…those green eyes squeezed shut against the pain of loss. Angharad she could eventually come to terms with, but Nux…a voice had her looking over her shoulder. Furiosa was there, with the Dag and Toast. All three women looked concerned.

Those green eyes just turned away from them and went back to staring out the window towards the canyon where her heart had been buried beneath rubble and shrapnel. She could hear the three women behind her speaking in low tones. It was then she felt the gentle yet firm hand of the woman who'd sacrificed everything to help them…and nearly her life. She looked up when Furiosa gently spoke her name. "Capable…we're sending a few of the war boys out to salvage scrap from the War Rig. I'll be riding along with them, just in case."

Something sparked in those green eyes. Just in case? Just in case of what? It was then she remembered that, while the canyon was closed off by the rubble, it was easy for the Rock Riders to traverse the rock walls of the canyon. The spark that had ignited in her eyes quickly faded and she turned her gaze back to the canyon. She heard them speaking again before Toast knelt down in front of her, those richly dark eyes worried. "Capable, what Furiosa was trying to ask is if you wanted to ride along." Capable stared down into those dark eyes for a moment. It was then she realized what they were doing. They were attempting to help her come to terms with Nux's death. Perhaps by taking her to the canyon, allowing her to collect whatever was there that had been his…she then looked up at Furiosa, tears in her eyes.

"It feels so cold inside…" She whimpered, dropping her once vibrant green eyes to her chest. She couldn't contain herself any longer and she began to sob. Furiosa remained firm, a rock she could lean on as the Dag rushed to her and Toast held her tightly. It was then she felt a gentle touch come from Furiosa…the first she could ever remember.

"He cared enough for you to give his life to ensure you were safe. He refused to allow Rictus to catch you or Immortan Joe to keep you. That kind of sacrifice…" Capable looked up when she heard tears clog Furiosa's throat. Memories flashed in the woman's blue eyes and Capable understood then. Furiosa understood her pain. Had lost her people, her homeland, everything she'd ever known. And then Max had walked away without so much as a goodbye. If anyone understood Capable's pain, it was Furiosa. That was why she was offering this trip to the canyon to her. For closure.

With one final heaving sigh, she lifted her head and looked out at the canyon. "If he…if his body is there…" She had to swallow past the lump in her throat. "I want to bring him home. I want to bury him in the Hightower, so he will never be forgotten." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but Furiosa heard her.

"The Many Mothers will be brought back as well." Capable heard the small sob from the Dag and remembered the old woman who was deemed Keeper of the Seeds. Dag had bonded with the old woman and when she'd been killed, it had devastated Dag. Capable nodded and hugged Toast and the Dag to her before standing. The spark was back in her green eyes now.

"We ride out to bring back our own." She locked eyes with Furiosa, who nodded and turned, heading out to get the salvagers together. It had taken many fights against the more fanatical war boys to finally secure their loyalty, but Furiosa had proved herself despite, or maybe because of, her near fatal wounds. The fact she'd held her own against the more seasoned war boys after having barely recovered from what should have been a fatal wound put her on the same level they'd once revered Immortan Joe. She'd demanded their loyalty and they'd given it.

Capable followed the taller, more muscular woman out the door and down towards the garage. The redhead hadn't been out of her room since they'd come back, Immortan Joe a bloodied corpse on the hood of the Gigahorse. Losing Nux had put her so deep into depression she'd barely noticed time passing. It was now late afternoon, if the shadows cast by the sun hitting the Citadel was anything to judge from. Sundown would be in less than three hours. They had till then to get what they were after and get back. Before they made it to the lift, Furiosa turned to her, giving her an appraising look. Capable felt heat suffuse her at the critical look in the older woman's eyes.

"Come with me." Capable blinked several times before following the older woman down another hallway. She stopped short when she noticed the hall led to a storage room. She was astonished that Furiosa was leading her to a dead end.

"Furiosa, what are you-?" She didn't get to finish as the older woman started throwing things at her over one shoulder.

"You'll draw too much attention dressed like that. The War Boys may be loyal to me, but they're still men." Capable blushed and looked down at her tattered outfit. It was true that as Immortan Joe's 'wife' she'd been protected from being touched by anyone other than Immortan Joe. Now that he was dead, however…she quickly grabbed the clothes Furiosa was throwing at her feet and looked through them. She found a pair of black pants, very similar to what Nux had worn, and a pair of black suspenders. She pulled the pants on under the tattered remains of her skirt before untying the skirt and ripping it in half. She then used the remains of her skirt to wrap her feet, starting mid shin and making her way down to her toes. Still digging through the pile, she noticed black boots and a white sleeveless linen top that was surely too large for her.

She put the goggles Nux had given her on top of her head, so that she would always have a piece of him close by. She then clipped the black suspenders to her pants and pulled them up over her shoulders, adjusting them so that they would keep her pants up for her. She followed the suspenders with the white sleeveless top she'd found and tied it just under her full breasts. When she looked up, Furiosa was regarding her with pride. "That's better. You don't look like a fragile little female anymore." Capable smiled slightly and looked down at herself. Her hair was in tight braids on either side of her head and she knew her skin was still mottled with what few bruises she'd acquired on their harrowing journey.

"Let's get going. We'll have to double time it if we're going to salvage anything from the wreckage." Capable nodded and swallowed past the lump in her throat, her eyes stinging as she suppressed her tears. She followed after Furiosa, who made her way to the lift to take them down a level to the garages. As they stood together, Capable couldn't help the feeling she was being watched. She canted her head to the side and looked around curiously. She noticed several wide eyed war pups regarding her and she smirked at them. She noticed them gasp and scramble away and the feeling of being watched disappeared. She looked over when she felt Furiosa's hand on her shoulder. "You know, they're going to need someone to take care of them now that they're not growing up as fodder for an insane warlord." Furiosa's voice was gentle and Capable found herself looking back up towards where the pups had scrambled away.

"Maybe…maybe after we bring Nux home…" She had to stop to keep the sob from escaping, but she lowered her head and nodded. She heard Furiosa murmur something and she looked away, composing herself. She was startled when the lift stopped with a slight jerk right outside the garages. She noticed many, many eyes turned their attention towards the two women. She suddenly felt very glad she'd put more clothes on before coming here.

"Alright, listen up! We're taking two buggies out as guards for the salvager. We go in, salvage what we can, and we get the hell out of there before the Buzzards or Rock Riders find out we're there. _Anything_ that looks like it can be reused for the benefit of the Citadel is to be loaded onto the salvager and brought back, understood?" Furiosa's voice echoed through the caverns that made up the garages. Capable couldn't help but lower her gaze when several more bold war boys turned their own gazes on her.

"What's _she_ doing here?" One rather bold War Boy managed to ask without getting knocked on his ass. Furiosa shot a quelling look at the war boys before looking over at Capable.

"She's going to retrieve our dead." Capable looked over at Furiosa, who lifted her chin in challenge. None of the boys said anything, just murmured among themselves. Capable decided not to hide behind Furiosa anymore, so she lifted her head and she fixed the bold war boy with a scathing look.

"I'm going for Nux. You got a problem with that, rev-head?" She growled, her green eyes flashing with temper. She noticed that even Furiosa shot a surprised look at her. The war boys then turned their own surprised looks on her. She heard a murmur, something to the extent of leaving traitors to rot, and all the pain and anger from years of rape and torture at the hands of Immortan Joe just burst forth in a flurry of angry red curls and swinging fists. It took Furiosa and a large white skinned male to drag the small, snarling ex-breeder off the war boy stupid enough to speak ill of Nux in front of her.

Many of the war boys regarded the small redhead with astonishment. They'd all thought Immortan Joe's breeders to be fragile creatures, but this female…she was a vicious little thing. Furiosa had to hold the smaller woman back as she attempted to slip out of the holds on her and jump back on the stunned war boy. Flashing eyes and snarling white teeth met their gazes. "I'll shred _anyone_ that speaks badly of my Nux."

And there it was. Plain as the sands below. Nux had been hers. And anyone that spoke badly of him would be on the receiving end of her temper. Surprise rippled through the ranks of the war boys as they regarded the woman, the _full-life_ who claimed one of theirs for herself. Whispering had Furiosa pulling Capable close to her, her blue eyes hard. The large male who'd helped pull Capable off the idiot war boy stood behind the two women like an imposing mountain. Capable then turned her blazing green eyes to Furiosa. "When we get back, I'll be taking over the care of the pups." She hissed and then looked back at the war boy who'd insulted her Nux. "Teach them better manners than that _smeg_." She hissed and marched away from Furiosa and over to the salvager. She pulled herself up into the driver's seat and glared at them. "Well?"

Furiosa shook her head and headed to the salvager. She'd ride with the redhead to keep her safe while her boys rode in the cars as their protection detail. The large male who'd towered behind them pulled himself up onto the salvager while several other war boys jumped into the vehicles and started the engines. Furiosa was surprised when Capable started the salvager and pulled it forward. She looked over at the redhead, who had one brow arched delicately. "What, you thought that because I was kept locked away in a vault for the last eight and a half years that I don't remember the life I had before then?" Furiosa arched a brow as Capable smiled. "My father was a scrapper. I've driven salvage trucks most of my life." She then pulled the salvager out onto the lift and looked towards the canyon. She reached up and pulled the goggles down over her eyes. Furiosa nodded and looked towards the canyon as well, but something caught her eye. It looked like smoke was coming from there.

Her eyes narrowing, she lifted her hand and the lift descended, resting on the ground and allowing them to pull off and head towards the downed war rig. The longer they drove, the more certain she was that there was smoke coming from the war rig's crash site. Though it should have come as no surprise that the wreckage was still smoking, Furiosa refused to let her guard down. She looked at the large male riding on the outside of the salvager's cab and he nodded, jumping on top of the cab and motioning to the other war boys to be prepared for a fight. As they approached the wreckage, Furiosa could feel her forehead wrinkle in confusion. There was a black car by the wreckage…a car she _recognized_ …

Getting out, she held up her hand to keep everyone calm. Carefully, she walked towards the car and looked inside; nobody there. She lifted her head and looked around, but she didn't see him. Now why would he be here, at the wreckage of the War Rig? Everyone jerked and all guns were pointed towards the wreckage as a loud noise reverberated from it. She sighed and put her gun away when she noticed the dark clad figure standing atop the wreckage, staring down at them. She motioned her men to exit their vehicles, leaving a gunner on each, and begin salvaging what they could. She looked over at Capable, who had also spotted the man who'd helped them escape Immortan Joe, and motioned the other woman to come with her. Capable climbed out of the salvager and the two made their way to the man, who'd yet to move. When they got closer, he held up his hand.

"There's lots of body parts." Furiosa swallowed and looked over at Capable, who had tears kissing her bottom lashes, but refused to let them fall. Furiosa then looked back at the man.

"The Many Mothers?" She felt her chest tighten when he shook his head.

"Found Keeper's body in the wreckage. Traced back to where Valkyrie fell. And the others. All dead." Furiosa lowered her gaze and nodded, lifting her hand with the palm out in recognition of those lost. It was then that she looked over at the trembling Capable.

"Max…is…is Nux…" Furiosa looked up and noticed something strange in the man's eyes. He pointed over his shoulder and Capable swallowed thickly. She slowly made her way over to the pile of rocks and twisted metal, climbing carefully until she was on top of it with the man called Max. Furiosa saw her eyes widen and she suddenly bolted to the other side of the pile, startling Furiosa. The older woman yelled for the redhead and bolted after her, but when she made it to the top of the rubble heap, her eyes widened in shock.

Lying in the sand with various pieces of cloth covering their faces were the fallen members of the Vuvalini. But off to the side, with a scrap metal splint on one leg, lots of dirty bandages, and one arm wrapped around a sobbing redhead, was Nux. Furiosa felt tears gather in her eyes and she looked over at the man called Max. "How?" She whispered and the man shrugged.

"Came back out to find any sign of survivors. Had to kill several Buzzards who were snooping around, but when I pried the door open, I found Keeper's body overtop his. He was unconscious and hurt bad. Took me several hours to pull him out, almost a day to patch him up, and almost three more for him to wake his sorry ass up." Furiosa noticed Capable looking the injured war boy-no, Nux-over, running her hands over his face, his shoulders. She laced her hands behind his head and pulled his forehead to hers, tears sliding down her cheeks. She could tell he was trying, rather frantically, to calm her. She shook her head. She noticed Max humming slightly, as if in thought. She looked over at him and noticed him regarding the two. "What is it?" She noticed him look over at her before lifting his hands towards the two.

"She's in for a surprise." He then looked over at Furiosa, who had her head canted in confusion. He then canted his own head towards her. "So are you." He made his way back towards Nux, who had a smile on his face as Capable just kept running her hands over him. When Furiosa followed, and they both made it to Nux's side, Furiosa's eyes widened in shock.

"Nux, what happened to your shoulder?" There were visible stitches in his skin, almost like the leather cord sewn into his skin was the only thing holding him together. She noticed Nux look at the shoulder before looking back up at Max.

"Apparently I was pretty shredded when blood bag found me." There was a grin on the younger man's face as he referred to Max's previous occupation as his blood donor. Max scowled, but Nux just laughed it off. "Max pulled me out of the wreckage. Don't remember much, but when I woke up, he told me I'd been shredded pretty bad. Said the only way he'd kept me alive was by stitching me back together with bits and pieces he found in the wreckage." Furiosa looked over at Max, who shrugged.

"Used the infusion needle and some cordage from crazy man's corpse. Helped that the breathing apparatus of crazy man's was still intact." Furiosa looked confused until Nux chuckled.

"He means Rictus. Apparently the pack he carried around on his back contained medicine." Furiosa's eyes widened and she looked at Max, who looked over at a pile of twisted metal that had legs sticking out from behind it.

"Immortan Joe had enough medicine stashed in crazy man's pack to treat every sick war boy in the Citadel." Max murmured to Furiosa, who felt a jolt of renewed hatred for the dead warlord. Immortan Joe could have saved hundreds of lives using the medicine he'd horded for himself and his sons.

Furiosa's attention was nabbed when she heard Capable gasp. "Nux…Larry and Barry…" Furiosa noticed, as well as Capable had, that Nux's tumors were now missing. She looked over at Max, who shrugged.

"It was easy to remove them since his shoulder was split wide open to begin with. I just had to pack lots of medicine inside to make sure it didn't get infected." Furiosa's brows furrowed at that. Where had Max gotten medical training? How did he know how to do the things he did? Like when he'd saved her life? She was about to ask when a yell came from behind them. She turned and noticed her boys had salvaged a good deal and were in the process of loading more up, but her lookouts were alerting them. She looked at where they were pointing and she cursed. Dust was rising in the waning sunlight. Someone was heading their way. She looked back down at where Nux and Capable were and she called down to them.

"Capable, get Nux and all the supplies you can carry to the salvager. We have company!" She then looked at Max, who nodded. He went with her as she made her way down and picked up Keeper's body. Max gently lifted Valkyrie's body up and made his way to the salvager. Furiosa sent the large war boy, who called himself Hammer, over the rubble to help retrieve the bodies of the Vuvalini. She stayed in the cab of the salvager and kept an eye on the approaching dust cloud. She hissed when she noticed it was Buzzards. She yelled at the war boys to get their shit together and secure everything that could potentially fall off their vehicles. They didn't want to leave anything behind that would cause the Buzzards to return to the wreckage.

She looked over her shoulder as Max secured the last body of her tribesmen and jumped out, running to his car. He nodded to her and she looked over at Capable, who had Nux tucked protectively against her. They were both strapped in. Furiosa nodded and started the salvager, tearing away from the wreckage and back towards the Citadel. She knew they had a good lead on the Buzzards, but anything could happen between the canyon and the Citadel. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Capable nuzzling against Nux's battered and cut up face. It was like there was life in the red head once more. It made her want to smile, seeing the woman so happy again.

With a sigh, Furiosa shifted gears once more and drove even more quickly towards the Citadel. She looked in her rear view and noticed the dust clouds were getting smaller and smaller. She smirked slightly and breathed in a deep sigh of relief when the salvager, both buggies, and Max's Interceptor made it into the shadow of the Citadel. As they pulled up to the lift, Furiosa climbed out of the salvager and gave a loud cheer. The war boys that went with her cheered too and Furiosa couldn't help but smile. She looked over at Nux and Capable, who were now standing beside the rig on the lift. Furiosa lifted her metal arm into the air and pumped it. This excited the war boys even more, even the ones still up in the cavernous catacombs that made up the garages. It was a victory. They'd found one of their own, alive, after believing him lost to them forever.

As the lift made it to the garages, Furiosa made a mental inventory of what they'd managed to salvage. It was mostly wrecked engine parts, things the war boys would spend the next few days repairing and improving upon. As the lift stopped at the garage, a cheer erupted at seeing how much of the War Rig they'd managed to salvage. Furiosa helped her war boys push the salvaged materials deeper into the catacombs before turning to Capable and Nux, who followed along behind her at a slower pace. The metal of his splint made an echoing noise which made many of the gathered war boys look over at him. Their eyes widened as he leaned against Capable, returning to the Citadel despite all odds.

Furiosa couldn't quell the smile the lit her lips when Capable locked eyes with the gangly war boy she'd jumped on hours ago for insulting Nux. Her green eyes flashed at the war boy, who had the good sense to look away. Capable lifted her chin before addressing them. "I told you I'd bring my Nux home." Surprised blue eyes jumped to the redhead's pale face before looking over at Furiosa, who was trying hard to stifle the laugh that was bubbling up in her chest. She shook her head before yelling ahead to have some war pups sent to assist Capable and _her_ war boy up to the Hightower.

The tunnel leading to the upper reaches was suddenly flooded with war pups, their pale figures choking out the tunnels. Furiosa arched a brow but Capable merely straightened her shoulders before leading Nux into their midst. One boy even had the audacity to reach out and hook a finger into her pocket, causing her to look down at him. Everyone held their breath until a gentle smile split the redheaded woman's face. "How about we get this rev-head up to the medical wing in the Hightower, huh?" The pups cheered, excited to be allowed as high up into the Citadel as the Hightower. Furiosa smiled and looked over at Max, who said nothing, just watched as the remaining war boys in the garage got busy with the parts they'd salvaged. It was Furiosa that turned to the one called Hammer and spoke to him.

"Until Nux is healed, you'll be overseeing the War Boys. When Nux is better, you'll be his lieutenant. He's going to need your help keeping these guys healthy and happy." Shocked looks turned to her at the mention of 'healthy' and 'happy'. It was Hammer that spoke then, in a low gruff tone.

"Many war boys only half-lifes. No chance of healthy." It was Max that spoke up then, his voice just as rough as Hammer's.

"But _we_ have Old World medicine. Your sicknesses, the tumors that cause your half-lives, they were treatable by the medicines of the Old World. We'll do what we can to extend your lives." He then looked over at Furiosa, who was nodding in agreement. "If, of course, that's what you want. A shot at a longer life." Hammer looked over his shoulder at some of the guys he'd grown up with…guys who suffered terribly.

"Some may take your medicine. The younger, less sick war boys. Give them the medicine for cure. Give us who too sick to cure the chance to ride in glory on the V8." Furiosa felt her throat clench. That meant that, despite his appearing healthy, Hammer was suffering from the cancerous tumors that seemed to plague the war boys. He hid it well. As did most of the war boys. She noticed Hammer motioning to several smaller, obviously much younger war boys.

"Youngest war boys and war pups get medicine first. You save more of them than the older war boys." Furiosa looked over at the war boy who'd spoken up this time. It was a spindly youth with a huge crack in his skull. A murmur of agreement went up from the older war boys. Furiosa felt something inside her soar. The older generation was protecting the younger. It surprised her, because from what she'd known of war boys, they were not particularly loyal to one another, just Immortan Joe. It was Max that spoke once more.

"Treatment will be given to all who come for it. There's plenty of Old World medicine." He pointed back to his Interceptor then. "I've been collecting Old World medicine for years. I've kept it stashed in the canyon as a bartering tool." He then looked over at Furiosa, who had her mouth open slightly in shock. He shrugged before looking back over the war boys. "I'll hand my stash of Old World medicine over to Nux. He is my ally. He is the one who guarantees the improvement of your lives…the one who ensures you will ride the V8 for many years to come." He then looked over at Furiosa. "And Nux has chosen to follow Furiosa. You should all think on that." A loud, roaring cheer went up and Max nodded, shifting close to Furiosa.

She regarded him carefully as he pulled a large duffle out of his Interceptor before they started towards the tunnel that would lead them up into the higher portions of the Citadel. "Why did you give your medicine to us? You didn't have to." Max shrugged at that.

"I'm not going to use it and I have no reason to keep it if I don't plan on bartering." He noticed her stop and turn to look at him, her brow furrowed.

"Why don't you plan to barter with…it…" Realization had her eyes widening before he noticed tears gather in her eyes. She suddenly leaned forward, her forehead touching his. "So…you're going to…stay?" Her voice was only a slight breath. Hopeful. He nodded, watching her carefully for any sign of displeasure. Instead, she shifted slightly, bringing her body closer to his. He wrapped one arm around her slim body, the other keeping the duffle with medicine in it on his shoulder. "Thank you…" she whispered hoarsely. He nodded and splayed his hand on her lower back.

"I've got a long road ahead of me in order to find redemption." He murmured, causing her to look at him with her bright blue eyes. He gave her a crooked smirk and she found herself chuckling, despite herself. He then gave her a serious look. "I realized something when I pulled that war boy of yours out of that wreckage. When I tracked down the bodies of the Vuvalini of Many Mothers." She noticed him purse his lips, like what he was about to say was going to leave a bad taste in his mouth.

"What's that?" She noticed him look towards where Capable and Nux had disappeared to.

"That even though I had given up on hope, others hadn't, and they were willing to fight for their hope." He lifted his chin in the direction Capable had gone, taking Nux and the crowd of war pups with her. "That girl of yours, the redheaded black thumb, she hadn't given up hope, even in the face of overwhelming odds. She went back, to find a body yes, but she hoped for what should have been impossible. It was in her eyes when she saw me standing on top of the wreckage." Furiosa looked down, taking in the sight of his chest while she processed her thoughts.

"That boy should be dead. As much as he has lived through, he's more an immortal than Joe ever was." She murmured. It was then that Max hummed.

"You should capitalize on his resilience. The Immortan is dead, but this war boy lives. Where their supposedly immortal god fell, this simple war boy survived, against all odds. That's not going to go unnoticed by the other war boys. Did you see the looks on their faces when they saw Nux standing there, _alive_.' He looked over when Furiosa chuckled.

" _That_ has more to do with what happened _before_ we left here than our coming back." She looked at Max as they started walking once more. "It's unheard of for those of us in the upper reaches to care about those in the lower. So for one of Joe's ex-breeders, a gorgeous full-life like Capable, to lay claim to a war boy is strange to them. But claim him she did. Called him _her_ Nux when she confronted them about why she was riding out with us. You are right about one thing…she never allowed herself to lose hope." They went silent as they made their way up to the medical bay in the Hightower.

Both stopped just outside the medical room as they heard gentle whispers. Both looked in to see Capable up on one of the large beds with Nux, who was very obviously sleeping, an IV in his arm thanks to one of the smaller Milk Mothers. The tanned woman wore a loose linen dress like many of the other Milk Mothers, but unlike most of them, she'd foregone working in the greenhouse with the Dag in favor of heading up the medical facilities with Toast. It had come as a slight surprise to them when the plump woman had revealed herself as a healer before being brought in as a Milk Mother. A healer with knowledge of Old World medicines, in fact.

Deciding to let the others know of Max's intentions to give his accumulated Old World medicines to them, Furiosa rapped gently on the door, causing both Capable and the plump healer to look at them. Capable whispered something to the woman, who nodded and headed towards them. The woman bowed her head in greeting. "Greetings, Lady Furiosa. What brings you to the clinic this evening?" Max arched a brow as he noticed Furiosa roll her eyes.

"It's just Furiosa, Vesta." The thinner woman chided before turning to introduce Max. "This is Max, the man who helped us defeat Joe."" Max noticed respect light the shorter, obviously slightly older woman's eyes. Max nodded his head and sat his duffle at the woman's feet. He noticed her eyes widen as he reached down and unzipped the duffle, revealing hundreds upon thousands of bottles, some large and some tiny. She gasped as she knelt down to inspect it.

"Mother above, where did you find this much Old World medicine?" She breathed and looked up at Furiosa, who canted her head towards Max.

"He said he'd been collecting it for years, hiding it away in a cave in the canyon where Joe met his end. Said he was going to surrender it over to Nux." The woman, Vesta, just stared in awe.

"I haven't seen this much medication since the hospitals were destroyed." She whispered and looked at Max with tears in her eyes. "You have some very powerful drugs in this bag, Mr. Max." She reached down and picked up one of the bottles. Her fat cheeks jiggled as she smiled hugely. "These are used to treat cancer. I wonder how many other types of treatments are in here." She noticed Max shift slightly and he shrugged.

"At least twenty different medicines, several bottles of each. Should be able to halve the doses if you fix up the right combinations." Vesta nodded and continued digging through the bottles until she found one that made her hum.

"This will help War Mother's boy. Take away his pain." She looked up when she heard choked noises. Both looked confused, and slightly surprised.

"War…" Max started, only for Furiosa to finish his sentence.

"Mother?" Vesta tossed her head towards Capable, who had Nux's head in her lap and was tracing his facial features with delicate fingers.

"Aye. That one had a whole pack of pups following her when she brought her boy in. Since they are _war_ boys and _war_ pups, it makes sense to call her War _Mother_. Especially if she takes over the care of the boys and pups, like she was telling her boy she intended to do." Furiosa and Max exchanged looks before shaking their heads, smirks on their faces. Vesta then picked up another bottle, nodding. "This will kill any infection still lingering in his body. _And_ it will kill off any more tumors he may have." She then stood and walked back over to the couple. Capable gently woke Nux, who opened his eyes enough to receive his medicine and then fall back into a healing sleep. She heard Max murmur something but just nodded absently.

Furiosa watched Capable as the redhead ran slightly trembling hands all over Nux's pale face before moving her light touch to his shoulders. She murmured something and Vesta nodded, walking away. A few moments later, the plump woman returned with a basin and a soft cloth. Furiosa watched in fascination as Capable dipped the cloth in the basin and then gently ran the wet cloth over his skin, washing the white clay away. Furiosa watched the careful swipes the redheaded ex-breeder made against Nux's fragile skin as she removed the blatant reminder he'd been a devout follower of Immortan Joe. When she started swiping away the dark war paint from around his eyes, Furiosa turned and walked away, giving them privacy as she followed after Max, who obviously wanted to speak with her.

Back in the medical room, Capable was memorizing every nuance of Nux's face, even down to the scarification on his lips. She looked over at the basin to dip more water out when her eyes lit on the bottles Vesta had brought over, claiming they could extend Nux's life indefinitely if his sickness wasn't too far progressed. She hoped the ex-Milk Mother was right. She refused to give up on him, not after he'd survived against all odds. With hope and relief swelling in her heart, she leaned down and gently pressed her lips to his, a single tear escaping her lashes and falling onto his face. She noticed him stirring and she wiped at her eyes to erase any hints of tears. When his vibrant blue eyes opened, he smiled up at her.

"Capable…" He whispered . She smiled at him and leaned in, kissing him like she'd kissed him when they'd been out in the desert bordering the salt flats. She felt his lips curl up in a smile as she gently pulled back from him. A sudden urgency overtook her, seeing him lying there, _alive_. She'd thought she'd lost him forever when the War Rig had crashed. Biting her lip, she looked around before pulling the curtains closed around his bed. She noticed his confusion before his eyes trailed down her body, his gaze heating as it slid over her. She slid to the side, running her gentle hands over his chest before leaning down and kissing him again.

When he tried to push up, she stalled him with one hand. "Don't move. Don't want to aggravate your injuries." She purred before reaching out and slowly unbuttoning his pants. She slid them down the thick columns of his thighs before carefully tugging them away from his injured leg. He watched her from his now reclining position as she carefully removed his pants, folding them neatly and putting them on the stool by his bed. She then reached for her white linen shirt and removed it, folding it up as well and putting it on the stool. She looked around to make sure no one was there before carefully unbuttoning her own pair of pants, releasing the straps as she did so.

With careful movements, she positioned herself overtop him and locked eyes with him as she sank down over his ready member. She gasped as he moaned, one hand at her hip while hers rested carefully on his abdomen. She reached back and pulled at the linen sheet at the foot of his bed and pulled it up so that their bodies were now covered by it. She then laid herself overtop him and very slowly circled her hips. Nux let out a whoosh of air at this and nuzzled against the side of her face, whispering to her. She moaned when she felt his good arm snake it's way down to her hips and curve over her lower back, palm splayed on her ass under the sheet. Capable closed her eyes and listened to the pleasured noises he made.

She continued this gentle teasing until she felt him tense and whisper urgently to her, but she just smiled at him, cupped his face, and told him everything would be okay. She kissed him when she felt his body begin to release itself and just allowed him to soak up her presence as she laid overtop him in the aftermath. He drifted in and out of sleep after that, waking long enough to indulge himself in her willing body, as she refused to allow him to pull out of her. She needed this closeness with him as much as he enjoyed the pleasure that was the result. It was the early hours of dawn the next morning when she finally gave in to the need for sleep and passed out in Nux's arms. She had her naked body draped over his, the thin linens of the sheets they'd used carefully covering their naked forms.

Nux was half asleep when he noticed a figure gently push one side of the curtain aside and his eyes popped open upon seeing Furiosa standing there, regarding the two of them. She was in a thin sleeping shirt that went down just past her bottom. He could feel heat rising in his chest, lighting his face, as the former Imperator regarded him. She then did something he'd not seen her do before. She smiled. She turned her attention from Capable to him and Nux felt the desire to tremble. She was an imposing figure when she wanted to be.

"Vesta said that not long after I left, she climbed on top of you and wouldn't let you go." Bright red flushed his ears and he looked down at Capable, who had yet to stir. He then looked back up at Furiosa, who did not seem all that upset to see he'd been rutting with her charge. No, not rutting…what had Capable called it? "Lovemaking." He looked up, surprised, as Furiosa answered his unspoken question. She just smiled at him. "In the Old World, when a man and woman wished to be intimate with one another for the sake of pleasure rather than breeding, they called it lovemaking." Nux looked down at Capable, who breathed on, oblivious to what was being discussed currently. He looked back up at Furiosa, who looked out the window, towards the east.

"Is that what this is? This…wonderful strange feeling…like the high of octane without the V8?" Furiosa looked over at the War Boy, fully aware he had no concept of love. She smiled sadly.

"I don't know what the high of octane feels like, but I know that when you love something- _someone_ -that person is all you can think about. All you want. Just being with them, by their side…it's the greatest feeling you can ever have." She noticed the young man's brows furrow before he looked back over at her, his good arm cradling Capable.

"Love. Is that like when I look at her and want to do anything just to see her smile? To make her happy? To erase the Immortan like she asks?" He noticed Furiosa stiffen suddenly and he looked down at his feet. He heard her take a step and looked up to see her looking down at him.

"So Valkyrie was telling the truth when she said she heard sounds of rutting from the lookout. Did you force her?" Furiosa's blue eyes were hard suddenly and he felt his breathing hitch in fear.

"I…please don't tell her anyone heard. It would make her sad. She…she woke up so scared. She begged me. Begged me to erase him from her. So I did what she asked. I erased him. She slept after that. She wasn't afraid anymore." He said quietly, not wanting to disturb the young woman in his arms. He looked up when he felt a hand on his injured shoulder. He noticed her looking at the leather stitching.

"You should know, Immortan kept records about the Five Wives' fertile times. Vesta isn't positive, but according to the records Capable was in her fertile stage when the two of you…" She trailed off as Nux's eyes glossed over with confusion.

"What's that word mean? Fertile?" Furiosa bit her lip. Of course this poor boy had no idea what she was talking about. The only women worth breeding had been locked up inside the Vault, only for Joe's use. The Wretched didn't worry about such things, as their fertility was pretty much nonexistent. It was very rare to have children amongst the Wretched.

"It means it's easier for her to get pregnant if she takes a man to her bed." She noticed Nux's eyes widen before they jerked down to look at the top of Capable's red head. Furiosa hummed, catching his attention. "Immortan never shared this information with anyone, not even the Wives. They would never know when these periods of fertility would come, only that every so often, Immortan would visit them more often." Furiosa noticed Nux's arm tighten around Capable and his lips pursed.

"She was dreaming of one of those times, I think. She cried out. She shook, afraid. I don't like it when she has those nightmares." Furiosa smiled then and looked at Capable as well.

"We must watch her for any changes. If she is with child, we will need to ensure she gets the medical treatment necessary to ensure the child lives." She noticed him shift slightly on the bed and looked over at him, at how his eyes had dropped in shame.

"I didn't want to do this to her. I didn't want to treat her like he did." Furiosa shook her head and sighed.

"Nux, there's a difference between what he was doing to her and what is between the two of you. She loves you. She didn't love Joe." Nux's head snapped up, surprise in his eyes. She smiled at him and shook her head. "She mourned you. She didn't budge from her window, just stared out at the canyon. When we got there, and she found out you were alive…that was the happiest I'd seen her since we kicked Immortan Joe's lifeless corpse off the front of the Gigahorse." She watched him to see what his reaction would be to news of what had befallen his former god. He didn't flinch, nor did he seem sad. A good start. "Nux, what you and Capable have, not many people in our world will ever have such a thing. Embrace it. Love her back. She needs you." He seemed to be absorbing the information she was giving him and she decided to leave them be. She stood from where she'd crouched near them and she smiled at him.

"Besides, the baby could end up being a girl, if she is pregnant." She noticed that, despite the absence of his white war paint, his skin suddenly went very white. Her eyes softened as she regarded the two. "And I know exactly what she'd name the child." Nux looked up at her, curious. She closed her eyes before she spoke. "Hope. She'd name your daughter Hope." With that, she walked away. As Nux watched her go, he swore he saw a half dressed, muscular form down the hall, waiting for her.


End file.
